Video: Cuomo praises cap, slags school spending

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has just released an eight-minute election-eve video arguing that the tax cap is doing its job, rolling back the average rate of increase for local levies and bringing “much-needed scrutiny to government spending.”

In a move that will likely prompt a tart response from educational groups in about, oh, 20 minutes, Cuomo reiterates his criticism of school spending, especially administrative costs, in relation to what he describes as poor results for the state’s dollar investment. The governor urges New Yorkers to get involved in the local budget process, and to check out his new website Citizen Connects, which provides information on starting your own consolidation action.

“At the end of the day … it’s all up to you,” he says.

Cuomo’s criticism of school spending repeats numbers for administrative spending — including a 34 percent boost in spending on supervisory positions — that were analyzed by Jimmy in May. In that article, Rick Timbs of the Statewide School Finance Consortium said it was “patently wrong” to use that number to suggest that districts’ front offices are padded with senior management: The figure Cuomo cited, Timbs said, includes people like guidance counselors, nurses and social workers.